Combined tail-light and signal for automobiles.



W. J. BAUER. COMBINED TAIL LIGHT AND SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILEDTEB. a 1913.

1,068,838. Patented July 29, 1913 W. J. BAUER. COMBINED TAIL LIGHT AND SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB.6,1913. I 1,068,838. Patented July 29,1913.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

I a I 2 wiltuewe-o UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM J. BAUER, ornnw YORK, N. Y., ssrenon TO BERRY 'IB. snvrons, or

NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed :February '6, .1913, Serial No. 746,539.-

COMBINED TAIL-LIGHT AND SIGlN'AL .FOR AUTOMOB IIILES.

Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined tail lamps and signal devices for'automobiles.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a combined device of'this character which is certain in its operation andsimple and inexpensive in construction. Another object is to provide a device of this character in which the same lampserves to illuminate the usual red light, the signal and also the number plate of the vehicle.

The various other objects and advantages will be more fully. set forth in the detailed description", and the features of. novelty in constructionand combination of parts will be particularly. p'ointed 'out int-he claims. 'In'the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of this invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved device attached at the rear of an automobile. Fig. 2 is an'enlarged, longitudinal sectional view illustrating the .device in detail. Fig. 3 .is an end view looking from the left. in Fig. 2. Fig. 4. 'is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating in detail the glass signdrum and its surrounding cylinders. Fig. 5

is an end viewof the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view'of the ex.-

ternal cylinder and end plates constituting the casing. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively plan and longitudinal sectional views illustrating the controlling device for the signal. Fig. ,9 is a sectional fragmental view illustrating a modified construction of coupling between the stub shaft and the sign drum. Fig. 10 is a diagrammatical elevational view illust ating a modified form of controller and transmission for actuating the signaling device. .Fig. 11 is a plan view partly in section of a fragment of the drum illustrating the spring connection.

In olp'erating a' motor .'vehicle at night especia y on crowded streets, it is often danerous to change speed or to turn out of the irect courseof travel-without properly notifying, in some way, the driver of the vehicle to the rear. llhaveprovided a simple,

. inexpensive and easily operated signal situated at'the rear of the vehicle and operated by the driver to indicate what the next move of the vehicle will be as left,. right, reverse, etc. This signal is combined with the tail lamp in one compact device and also serves to illuminate the number plate placed adjacent thereto.

Referring iii detail to the drawings, the controller .10 for the signal device'is mounted ina convenient position adjacent to the seat of the. driver and is connected in any suitable manner to the signaling device. In

one form of my invention, the controller handle may be mounted u on a bracket 11 which is provided with a the various positions of the signal. The

ml 12 indicating Patented J lily-29, 1913.

. stem 13 of the handle is attached to a shaft 14 geared by suitable gearing 15 and 16 to the stub shaft 17 of the signal device. l-he gearing may be suitably disposed at the side or bottom of the vehicle and inclosed within suitable casings 18 and 19. ..The signal device proper is mounted upon a pair of brackets 2Q and .21. suitably attached to the rear of the vehicle and consists preferably of a polygonal glass drum 22 connected in a suitable manner .to be operated by'the stub shaft 17. Thesignal drum has rectangular wide sides 23 and inclined. beveled edges 24. In

one or more of the sidesareimpressed-let- 1 ters constituting thevarious signals. Preferably I impress'on three of the sides, Left,

, Right, and Reverse and color the fourth side red .so as to provide anextended surface for the ordinary red danger signal at the :rear of theautomobile.

The letters as before stated are preferably impressed or sunk in the glass as at 25 and they can be readil formed during the process of the manu acture'of the drum, as the latter: can be, without any appreciable expense, blown into a suitable moldformed with the proper letters. The entirespace surrounding the furrows or channels of the sunk letters may be then readily. painted black, leaving the-channels transparent, thus permitting the letters to be illuminated by a 'lamp placed within the drum. Preferably ridges 26 are formed about the letters, these ridges constituting means for preventing the p int from gettin into the channels when t e same is vapplie to the drum, thus obviating the necessity of providing extraneousmeans for preventing .the' ingress of paint in the channels during the process of manufacturing. The si nal drum is surrounded by a transparent glass cylinder which-may rest freely in the interior of the .casing hereinafter described. This cylinder'protects the latter is rotated by the controller 10 to itsvarious positions as indicated on the dial, it

7 carries with it the signal drum which thereupon displays thepro er signaL- If de:- sired, the connection be ween the end plate and the drum may be loose so that the drum may rest freely upon the inclosingcylinder. In Figs. 2, 1 and 5, I have shown a certain amount of clearance between the signal drum and the cylinder and also between the latter and the surrounding casing. This has been done merely for the sake of 'clearness, it being understood that if desired these parts may rest snugly against one another.

The drum and the surrounding glass cyl-. inder are inclo'sed in 'a tight casing, preferably of sheet metal, this casing being formed by a cylinder 31 provided with end plates 32 and 33 which are rigidly held in clamps 34 and 35 formed on the brackets 20 and 21. The cylinder 31 is formed with a wide vertical opening 36 through which the signal is displayed and is provided alsopreferably with two apertures 37 at each side of the signal opening. These apertures are closed by red glasses 38.which normally display the usual red danger signal of a tail lamp. To allow the light to pass through the drum to these red lights, transparent spaces 39 are left in-each side of the drum,

these spaces registering with the apertures 37.

The lamp, preferably an electric bulb, 40 is located in the interior of the drum and its-tube or fixture41 extends through a central aperture formedin the end plate 33.

" This aperture may conveniently be in the form of a sleeve 12 formed integrally with the plate and secured in the clamp 35. An

additional plate 43 with an inwardly extendingsleeve 44:, through which the lamp fixture also passes may be formed to fit. snugly the lnterior of the casing and thus constitute an additional support-for the fixture; The lamp fixture may be bent around and supported from an auxiliary bracket 45 located at one side of the bracket 21 and the electric w res 46 extending thereinmay be connected to a source of current.

The number plate 50 may be suitably supported upon the posts 51 to which the brackets 20 and 21 may conveniently be attached. These posts maybe secured to the bottom or side of the vehicle in any desired manner. To illuminate this sign from the same lamp which illuminates the signal and tail light, the casing 31, is formed with slots 52 at a suitable angle to the horizontal plane,

so that the light from the lamp will be dotted lines in Fig. 3. The signal drum. 22

may, if desired, also have corresponding slots 53 formed in I its beveled edges 24:. Thus, when the drum is. adjusted to its various positions, the rays of the lamp will always have a free path to the number plate, so as to illuminate the same.

It will be noted that in the above construction, the signal device is thoroughly protected from moisture and should any moisture collect between the glass cylinder 27 and the casing 31, the samemay be thrown upon the sign plate as indicated iif drained through an aperture 54 in the bottom of the casing. However, no moisture can get into the interior oft-he glass cyhnder, as it will be drained through opening 54: before it can reach the interior of this cylinder;

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 9, the plate 30?- is attached to the stub shaft 17 this plate being stamped'out of spring sheet metal and formed with the spring tongues 30 struck-out from the body of the metal-to -engage the interiOr of the sides 23 of the signal drum. The plate 43 is similarly stamped of springsheet metal and formed with spring tongues43 struck out from the bo'dyof the metal, and also engaging the .interior of the s ides 23. In this construction, the signal drum is supported at both of its ends by the plates 30 and 13 and thus held o'ut of contact with the glass cylinder 27. The plate-43 may be formed with the sleeve 44 which loosely fits about the fixture 41 while the plate 30 is formed with a-sleeve 30 attached to the stub shaft 17. I

Referring to: the modified formof controller mechanism for actuating the signal drum shown in Figs. 10'a'n'df11, the controller60 may be mounted uponthe dash board 61 of the' vehicle andprovided with 'asuitable dial 62. Fixed to the controller shaft 63 is a sheave 6.4 over which p' ses a" flexible cord or chain 65. The latris guided around an idler sheave 66 to a sheave 67 fixed to.the shaft 68 of the signal drum.

A spring 69 fixed at one end to the bracke 70 and at the other end to the sheave tends 'to constantly turn the signal drum to 1 a position in whichthe blank red surface is displayed. \Vhen the controller handle 60 is actuated, it rotates the signal rum through the connections above described against the tension of the spring 69. When pense incident to the the controller 'is returned to neutral position, the spring automatically returns the drum to a corresponding position. The ex use of gear Wheels and shafting is thus dispensed with.

Itwill be noted that my improved device is simple and inex the majority of the parts being formed of blown glass or stamped sheet metal. The characters on the signal drum are very readily formed with. a minimum of expense as the darkening of thesurface about the characters is a simple operation not requiring any degree of skill or care. The signal drum is thoroughlyprotected from moisture, and should any get in between the glass cylinder and the casing, it will be drained as above set forth. I

Having thus described my invention,' I claim: l

'1. A combined signal device and tail lamp for automobiles comprising acasing having a lateral opening, a transparent cylinder mounted in'th'e casing, a polygonal drum of transparent material mounted within-the cylinder, signal characters formed on the sides of the drum, and means for rotating the drum to display the desired signals through the opening in the casing.

. '2. A combined signal device and tail lamp for automobiles comprising a casing having a lateral opening, mounted in the casing, a polygonal drum of transparent material mounted Within the cylinder, signal characters formed on the sides of the polygonal drum,'the latter being provided with slots, a shaft, an end plate '3. A combined signal connected to the shaft provided with projections engaging within the slots, and means for rotating the shaft to display the desired signal through the opening.

device and tail lamp for automobiles comprising a metal casing having end plates provided' with sleeves, brackets in which the casing is mounted, means for clamping the sleeves within the brackets, a lamp fixture passing through one of the sleeves into the interior of the casing, a signal drum within the casing provided with; polygonal sides having characters thereon, and means for rotating the drum to display the desired signal through an opening in the casing.

4:. A combined signal device and tail lamp for automobiles comprising a casing having a lateral opening, a transparent cylinder mounted in the casing, a drum of transparpensive in construction,

a transparent cylinder ent material mounted within the cylinder, slgnal characters formed on the sides of the drum, and means for rotating the drum to display the desired signals through the opening in the casing. V

5. A combined signal device and tail lamp for automobiles comprising a metal casing having end plates, brackets to which the end plates are fixed, a transparent cylinder within the metal casing, a signal drum within the transparent cylinder said drum having transparent signal characters formed thereon, the space surrounding said characters being opaque, a lamp fixture passing axially through one,- end of the easing into the interior thereof, a stub shaft extending axially from the other end connected to the stub shaft, said last named plate being provided with means for engaging the adjacent end of the for rotating the stub-shaft.

6. A combined signal device and tail lamp for automobiles co prising a c'asing having a lateral opening, a transparent cylinder mounted in the casing,'a drum of transparent material mounted Within the cylinder, signal characters formed on the sides of the drum, means for rotating the drum to display the desired signal through the opening in the casing, the casing being provided with an opening at the bottom thereof for draining any moisture which may collect in the interior thereof.

7. In a device oft-he character described, a casing having a'display opening and another opening spaced therefrom, a polygonal signal drum mounted within the casing, said drum having sides formed with translucent signal characters and dark back ground and beveled edges capable of transmitting light; means for actuating the signal device to display various signals through said display opening; means'within the easing for illuminating the signals; and a number plate disposed on the exterior of the casing on a line with the illuminating means,

of, the casing and-a plate drum, and meansthe second opening in the casing, and the beveled, light transmitting edges of the drum, in every position of adjustment of the latter. Signed at New York city, in the county of New York'and State of New York, this 31st day of January A. D. 1913. v

WILLIAM J. BAUER. Witnesses: FRANK M. ASHLEY,

NATHAN COHEN.

Copies of'this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner pf Patents, Washington, D. 0. I 

